Never Expected
by JoanHall
Summary: Sometimes life doesn't go the way you planned. A little post-canon story.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story came from an idea that my son had. He might continue it sometime in the future, but he agreed to let me write the beginning and put my own flavor on it.

**HIM**

The morning was still as they walked hand in hand. They passed through the rose garden to the trees beyond.

He looked at her, once again feeling the joy of having her by his side.

Their marriage, for the most part, was one of blissful happiness. They loved one another deeply, and each showed to the other all the affection and reverence that each could have wished for. He still considered her perfect, his gift from the heavens.

If there were anything that he could change about their marriage, it would, of course, be that they would have had a child by now. Only the Lord above could know why there had been no fruit from their marriage. It certainly was not for any lack of performing the necessary activity.

He was not disheartened. If they had a child at some point, they would rejoice in it. But if not, they would still have a happy life and a loving home.

Their childlessness seemed to be most vexing to his wife when they were out in society. There were those who would make comments that even he recognized as veiled criticisms. Others were kinder, but it seemed that she still felt a bit uncomfortable whenever the conversation turned to children.

As time went on, they began to spend more time at home, where they could enjoy their love and their peaceful surroundings, for they were both amiable by nature. As much as he enjoyed socializing, the reward of seeing his wife content and at peace was so much greater that he did not resent the sacrifice.

Besides, they still enjoyed the company of the close friends who mattered most. This very day they were entertaining their sister and brother, with whom they had shared their wedding.

On that wedding day, he had vowed to himself that there was nothing he would not do to provide for her happiness, and that remained his intention. If staying at home made her happy, he would do it with gladness. Such was his love for her.

As they reached a clearing, she looked at him, and returned his loving smile with one of her own. The sunlight behind her seemed like a halo, framing her lovely face. Never had she looked more angelic than she did at that moment.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter 2 is covering the same moment as Chapter 1, just from a different POV. After this, though, the rest of the chapters will be sequential. Thanks, everybody, for the follows, faves, and reviews! BTW, the part of the story that is my son's idea hasn't come yet. This part so far is Mommy putting her slant on it.

**HER**

The morning was still as they walked hand in hand. They passed through the rose garden to the trees beyond.

She gazed around her, deep in her thoughts, the thoughts of her unfulfilled hopes and wishes. Wondering if she would ever again feel the joy that she had in the early days of her marriage. Wondering why motherhood continued to elude her. (It certainly was not for any lack of performing the necessary activity.)

She knew that her husband's love for her was unfettered. She knew that he had no regrets. But she could not escape the feeling that she was failing him.

She knew that _he_ had no regrets. But she knew also that his relatives had never approved of her. As time had passed, and they had been married a year, then two years, then four years, with no child, she knew that they looked at her with ever more critical eyes, each passing year seen as further proof that she was an unsuitable wife, further proof that he should have chosen another.

Other young wives, those who viewed society as a competition for prominence and admiration, would find opportunities to mention their children in her presence, after which they would glance in her direction with a barely perceptible smirk.

The rest of society was kinder to her. Her gentle and sweet nature had won her the admiration of most who met her. They looked at her, not with criticism, but rather with pity, which she found almost as difficult to bear.

As she began to feel less and less at ease in company, the two of them spent more time at home. She knew how much he loved to socialize, and she knew that staying at home was a sacrifice that he was making for her happiness. And she knew that he _thought_ that she was happy as a result.

What she did not tell him was that even at home she felt the reproach of their childlessness. She managed their household with a serene manner that belied her disappointment. She had even begun to feel a heaviness of heart when she approached the marital bed. While her husband was the most tender, fervent, and desirable lover that a wife could want, each coupling reminded her of her failure to conceive.

They were currently entertaining visitors. Her sister, with whom she had shared a wedding day, was visiting with her husband. Her sister, who knew her so well, could sense her unhappiness even when her own husband could not. Her sister, so loving and considerate, had almost been hesitant to share the news that she was now expecting her third child.

This announcement, and the manner in which it was given, brought more self-examination. To think that her sister had felt reluctant to share her own joyous news! She realized that she must make a greater effort to regulate her countenance and her behavior. She must not allow her unhappiness to cause unease to any of the people she loved. It had long been a part of her nature that she did not display her emotions in a grand fashion. She resolved that she must employ this trait with more diligence than ever before.

And if her husband desired more society, he would have it. She would brave the scornful looks, as well as the sympathetic ones. No hint of distress would be perceptible behind her renowned smile. She would bear all of it to bring happiness to her husband. Such was her love for him.

As they reached a clearing, she looked at him, summoning all of her courage to return his loving smile with one of her own. His expression was one of unadulterated joy and adoration.

He came closer to her, gently placed his hands on either side of her face, and leaned forward to kiss her.


	3. Chapter 3

Continuing on with their morning . . .

* * *

**HER**

The kiss was tender and lingering. When their lips parted, she looked again at his glowing smile. This kiss had been given to her, not in the knowledge of any need for comforting, not in any expectations toward the bedchamber, but simply as an expression of joy and love.

Seeing the look of pure contentment on his face opened her eyes to a realization that she had never before seen. She had been thinking herself a failure because of the judgments of others. But she was not married to any of those persons. Did her husband see any failure in her? If his happiness was complete, why would she think that she was not successful in her role as a wife to him?

" _. . . and forsaking all others, wilt thou keep thyself only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"_

"_I will."_

When she had made that vow, she was thinking of her body, which she would reserve to him alone. But now she thought of her mind, her consideration, her aspirations. To whom should those be inclined, save him? From whom should she be seeking approval, save him? Whose feelings should be of any import to her, save his?

If the measure of a wife is how well she pleases her husband, then she was the best wife in the land. Never again would she allow the opinion of another to have preeminence in her mind over the opinion of her husband. Peace settled in her heart. The forced smile that she had given him moments ago was replaced with one of full sincerity. Looking deep into his eyes, she felt whole.

She knew that he would not realize all that she was signifying with her next words, but for her own sake she needed to make the declaration.

"I love _you_," she said, "with _ALL_ of my heart."

"And I you," he replied.

They kissed again, then continued their walk. To her, the sun seemed brighter and the birds merrier than they had been in many a month.

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A/N: Tomorrow, I will post chapters 4 and 5.


	4. Chapter 4

**HIM**

As they continued their walk, they made for a lane that led west. As they were turning, he noticed a large, odd-looking object nestled between some bushes in the distance.

As they drew closer to it, he could see that it was oblong in shape and appeared to be made of metal.

"Wait here", he said to her, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

He left the path and approached the bushes. Moving them aside revealed an enclosed vessel with a pane of glass in its upper surface. He looked through the glass and gasped.

Inside the vessel lay an infant child, wrapped in a red cloth.

He touched the glass gingerly. At his touch, the pane slid open. The child looked up at him and smiled.

Amazed, he gently lifted the infant out of the vessel. The child reached a hand toward his face. He smiled in return and then called out to his wife.

As his wife scurried over, he continued to talk to the infant. When she drew near and saw the child, she stopped in her tracks. "My word!" she said softly.

At the sound of her voice, the child turned its head towards her. Its previous grin was transformed into a fascinated and unwavering gaze.

He placed the child in his wife's arms. As he did so, its eyes remained transfixed on her face. It gazed at her for a while longer, then nestled its head against her bosom, sighed, and went to sleep with a gentle smile on its face.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I posted Chapters 4 and 5 at the same time, so if you haven't read Chapter 4 yet, go back one.

* * *

**HER**

As the child settled to sleep in her arms, she looked at her husband.

"Wherever could . . . erm . . .". She realized that she was uncertain what word to use next.

They gently unwrapped a portion of the cloth, revealing that it was a male child.

"Wherever could _he_ have come from?"

"I cannot imagine. The vessel in which he laid is like nothing I have ever beheld."

"And nothing was there that would give any explanation . . . ?"

"Nothing."

They looked at one another for a long moment. She did not dare to express her thoughts, and yet she wondered if her husband was thinking the same thoughts as she. Finally, he spoke hesitantly.

"He appears to be . . . quite alone in the world."

"I agree."

"It would be . . . wrong to leave a helpless infant abandoned."

"Quite true."

"Had we not found him, he might have perished."

"Indeed."

"It would be . . . the Christian thing to do . . . to ensure that he is . . . provided for . . . in a safe and caring home."

"Absolutely. And . . . dear . . . society would look down on him if he was known to be a foundling."

"I agree."

"It would bring such difficulties for him . . . to go through his life suffering such censure."

"Quite true, indeed."

"It would be better for him if he had the status of a son."

"Absolutely."

"Then, he will be our son," she said.

"Our son," her husband replied. "And even if . . . even if we have other children in the future . . . "

In that moment, she knew with a certain assurance, and believed that her husband knew as well, that this would be their only child. But she spoke her agreement, nonetheless.

"Yes, even if we do . . ."

"He shall be the heir."

"Absolutely." She kissed the babe gently on the forehead.

They stood silent, inwardly solemnizing their first moments as a family, then turned back toward the house.

"Dear," she said as they walked, "do you think we can actually keep the secret of his past?"

"Our brother and sister may be able to offer good advice on that subject."

She smiled. "Yes. We shall confer with them."

They returned to the house, seeking the cover of the trees as much as they were able in order to conceal the bundle she carried in her arms.

* * *

A/N: Tomorrow, we wrap up with Chapters 6 and 7.


	6. Chapter 6

**HIM**

On returning to the house, they made their way to his wife's private sitting room. He left her there with the infant and sought out their sister and brother. Once he had brought them to the room, he divulged the particulars of the morning's events.

The two men quickly returned to the field where the strange vessel still lay. They managed to push it into an extremely convenient nearby shed that happened to be just the right size to hold it. They resolved that they would return after night fell, dig a hole behind the shed, and bury the vessel there.

They returned to the house and were able to give a detailed description of the vessel to their wives, who had been examining the child and had found him to have no apparent defects or infirmities.

"Astounding!" their sister cried on hearing the details. "From where could it possibly have come?"

"If I may be so bold," he replied, "I think it possible that he could come from an undiscovered world, one that lays beneath the surface of our earth. I have read of such possibilities in _Icosameron_ by Giacomo Casanova." He was not an avid reader, but thrilling tales of other worlds were able to hold his interest.

"Casanova! I have read him as well!" their sister exclaimed. Her husband snorted slightly, and she laughed at his reaction. "My husband thinks it impossible and will not deign even to read such speculation. But one must always be willing to embrace new scientific theories, I believe. I think, however, that it could also be possible that the child could come from a world beyond ours, in the heavens. Have you ready _Plurality of Worlds_ by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle?"

"No, I have not."

"We have it at our home. I am told that my husband's father was fascinated by it. When next you visit, be sure to look for it in our library."

"I will indeed!" he said.

He and his sister looked at one another briefly, realizing that they had just discovered an excellent topic for future conversations.

"The important question now, however," he continued, "is what explanation we will present to the world for the presence of this child."

"Yes," their sister said slowly, looking pensively at the infant. "How long has it been since the two of you were out in society?"

His wife replied, "We have kept at home these past four months."

"Four months . . . this may actually be easy. When you retired from society, you were already with child, five months along. You were not aware of it at the time, because you had not yet begun to visibly increase, which is sometimes the case with a first child. Also, since your courses have always been irregular, you had not suspected anything."

His wife looked at her sister in confusion. He remembered that she had told him that since her first flowering into womanhood, her female cycles had been as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun.

Her sister raised an eyebrow at her and said with emphasis, "Your courses have _always_ been irregular. The child before us could not be more than one month old, so there will be no more than one month difference between his actual age and the age that you will claim for him. No one will be able to notice such a discrepancy. I trust that the staff here can be trusted to keep your confidences?"

"Absolutely," he replied, "everyone here adores the mistress. How could they not?"

"Indeed," their sister smiled. "And I think it is a very good thing that you no longer live in the same neighborhood as our parents. I suspect that my mother is the person who would have most endangered any secrets."

His wife nodded. "Every time Mamma writes to me, she is full of advice about what I need to do in order to fall with child. If she lived nearby, she would be a frequent visitor, I have no doubt."

"In your correspondence with Mamma," their sister offered, "you did not mention that you were with child because you feared losing the babe and did not want to attract bad luck by boasting. You silly, superstitious girl!"

His wife laughed. "Yes, I am sure she will accept my apologies in the matter."

"Then all that is left is to find a nurse, which you would have done in any case."

"I will ask the housekeeper to recommend one who can be trusted."

"Then I believe that we have resolved every question! Welcome to the family, dearest nephew!"

His wife placed a hand on his arm. "Dear, I wish for _you_ to choose his names."

His heart swelled with pride at the thought of naming his son. "My desire," he said, "would be to name him in memory of my parents. Shall we give him my father's given name?"

"That would be wonderful."

"And then for another name, I wonder if there is a way that I can honor my mother. I doubt that we could fashion an acceptable masculine form of the name Amaryllis."

His wife shuddered.

Their brother interjected, "I recall that you have often said that your mother was very fond of the place where she was born and raised."

"Yes!" he cried, "Indeed, she cherished it greatly. She considered it the finest county in all of England, and even the most beautiful land that existed in the world. She never tired of speaking of it. So there it is! My father's name and then the county where my mother was born! Splendid!"

His wife agreed. "Clark Kent Bingley! How well it sounds!"


	7. Chapter 7

**HER**

She sat in the nursery, holding her cooing infant, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. The nurse had just finished feeding the babe and had left to tend to her own child.

"What a gentle and quiet nature he seems to have!" she said. "I hope that he grows to take after you, to be meek and mild-mannered."

"I am convinced that he takes after me, for another reason."

"What reason is that?"

"He fell in love with _you_ at first sight."

She blushed.

She reflected on how much her life had changed in only one day. When she had awakened that morning, her heart was besieged by disappointment, resentment, and shame. These had been rooted in a self-centered desire to be validated in the eyes of others. If she had been in that same state of mind when they found their son, she would likely have seen him as the answer to her own spiritual distress, placing on a tiny child the responsibility of giving her a sense of wholeness.

But God, in His wisdom, had revealed to her how she needed to correct her heart. By helping her to find wholeness first on her own, He had prepared her to be the kind of mother that she ought to be. Her child was not a remedy to any problem of hers, but a generous and unconditional blessing. '_My cup runneth over_,' she told herself.

She said to her husband, "His christening will come later, of course, but I feel moved to say a prayer for him right now. Will you join with me, dear?"

"Happily, my love."

"Almighty God," she began, "hear our prayer of thanksgiving for Your kindness in giving us this bountiful gift. We ask You, dear Lord, to enable us to provide this child with all the care and protection that he will need, to love him as You have loved us."

"Give us wisdom, dear Lord," her husband continued, "to properly instruct him, to raise him into a man who will hold to righteous principles. One who will stand for truth, justice, and the ways of good. Amen."

"Amen," she echoed.

The child seemed to gurgle in agreement. Her husband placed his finger gently into the tiny palm. The babe smiled and squeezed his father's finger.

"Well!" her husband exclaimed. "I think he is going to be a strong one! That actually hurt a bit."

They both chuckled.

**THE END**

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A/N: Thank you, everybody, for the faves and reviews. It was my son's idea to put Superman in 19th-Century England, and it was his idea for the Bingleys to be the parents. He will be the one to do any continuation of this. I asked him if I could write the origin story because I wanted to go deep on the childless parents.

While I was writing this, I asked my son if there are any Superman stories that are written from the point-of-view of Mr. and Mrs. Kent. He said that there might be some in fanfics, but in the commercial stories the Kents get very little attention.

I still have a few story ideas of my own kicking around in my head, but they are longer stories that will take a lot of work, so I have no idea when I will publish again. But I continue to lurk and read. See you around!


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